Either/Or Thinking Can Foster Against-Ness

In the field of Psychology, “dichotomous thinking” is not considered to be a particularly highly evolved way of viewing the world. Black or white. Yes or no. You either “have” depression or you don’t. You are majority culture or you are “diverse.” You are “straight” or you are “gay”. “You’re either ‘fer us, or ‘agin’ us.” Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down. Yea or Nay. Sox or Yanks. Scarlet and Gray or Blue and Gold, Slaves or Not, Christian or Hellbound, Islam or Infidel, Democrat or Republican. Pro or Con. Right or Wrong. Psychologists make a fair amount of their jing turning dichotomies into continua.

That changes everything.

About the Moderator

Jim Nolan
Jim Nolan has been the President of Southwestern College since 2006. He holds a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology, and has a private practice in Santa Fe. He went to graduate school in Irish and English literature, too, and reads a lot of books, takes a lot of photos and plays guitar. Sort of. His best friend of all times, a Wire Haired Fox Terrier named Barney, recently passed into non-physical. Barney was a true guru.
Jim is the opposite of a guru, whatever that is called. He doesn't know anything, and he knows that. It seems to work out...